Porcelain key-facing for musical instruments.



J. E. EVANS. PORCELAIN KEY FACING FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 19M)- Patented Oct. 3. 1916.

JOHN E. EVANS, F LIMA, OHIO.

PORCELAIN KEY-FACING FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 3, 1 916.

Application filed May 6, 1915. Serial No. 26,360.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Porcelain Key-Facings for Musical Instruments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in keyboards for pianos, organs or the like, and more particularly to the covering or facing of the white keys thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a facing for keys of this character which will not deteriorate with age; is not dependent upon animal growth for its supply; and is very cheap tomanufacture and effective in practice.

Another object is to provide a key facing with simple and efficient means for interlocking engagement with the body of the key to prevent all possibility of its becoming detached.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a plan view of a portion of a keyboard constructed in accordance w th this invention; with parts broken out; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a key constructed in accordance with this invention taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the faclngs of a key arranged between two black keys, detached; Fig. i is a similar view of a facing of one of the outside keys; and Fig. 5

is a similar vlew of the end facing.

In the embodiment illustrated a key is shown composed of any suitable material, preferably of wood, and which 1s equipped on its upper face and at one end thereof with a facing 2 composed of porcelaln whlch may be of any desired shade and is molded in the desired form, being of a thickness of about three-siXty-fourths of an inch more or less and provided on its lower face with a plurality of depending studs 3 having heads 4 which are designed to enter correspondingly shaped sockets or recesses 5 formed in the upper face and one end of the body of the key. As shown, the upper portion of this key facing is composed of two sections 6 and 7, the section 6 being of a wldth corresponding to the width of the front portion of the key beyond the black or sharp keys 8 thereof, and the section 7 being of a width corresponding to the dis- 'tance between said black keys as .is shown clearly in Flg. 1. These sections 6 and 7 are in the form of fiat rectangular rectilinear strips or plates of porcelain arranged in longitudinal alinement with their meeting ends abutting, and they are secured to the key body by means of the depending headed studs which enter the sockets 5 in said body and are secured therein by glue or other suitable cement. These headed studs prevent all possibility of the facings becoming detached such as ordinarily occurs in the ordinary facing of keys of this character and which is very objectionable.

Secured to the front or outer ends of the keys 1 are end strips 9 also composed of porcelain and which are provided on their inner faces with laterally extending studs 10 designed to enter correspondingly shaped sockets 11 formed in the front ends of the key body and which are secured therein by glue or suitable cement.

Owing to the fact that the supply of ivory which is usually used for forming key faces of this character is derived entirely from animals, largely from walrus and elephant tusks, and that said supply is becoming more scarce each year, it has been found necessary to provide facings of some other material, and it is to supply this demand that this invention has been devised. In making ivory key facings, they must be carved, while with a porcelain facing of the character herein set forth, said faces are molded in suitable molds and then baked in ovens. V

Porcelain facings of this character may be of any desired shade and do not deterio-.

rate with age in addition to being very cheap to manufacture and when constructed as herein described are readily and reliably applied.

It is of course to be understood that the strips 7 which are positioned between the black keys are of different widths as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to adapt them to fit prop erly between the differently positioned black keys of the board.

I claim as my invention:

The herein described piano key comprising a Wooden key body of rectangular shape having sockets in its upper face and front from the inner faces of said plates and having enlarged heads at their free ends, said headed studs extending into the sockets in the key body, an end plate of porcelain conforming in shape and size to the front end of the key body to Which it is to be applied and having a laterally extending stud With an enlarged head at its free end positioned to enter the socket in said key body end, and a cement filling disposed in said sockets around said headed studs for securely connecting the plates to the key body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN E. EVANS. Witnesses:

O'ris T. .LIPPINCOTT, IRENE CUMMINGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for we cents each, iid dresis'ixig" the Commissioner of i atnts;

Washington, I). c." 

